Office for national statistics

Theresa May has appointed the country’s first minister for loneliness in order to tackle the misery endured by around nine million Britons. Tracey Crouch will take on the role on top of her current job as Sports minister, aiming to “shine a light” on the issue. The Prime Minister has backed a series of recommendations made by the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, which highlighted how widespread the problem is. The commission was set up by MP Jo Cox, who campaigned to find ways to combat loneliness before she was brutally murdered by a far-right terrorist in the run-up to the EU referendum. As well as announcing the new minister, Mrs May said a cross-government strategy to find ways to stop people feeling lonely will be published later this year. Ahead of Downing Street reception to celebrate Ms Cox's legacy on Wednesday, she said: "For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life. "I want to confront this challenge for our society and for all of … [Read more...] about UK’s first ever minister for loneliness appointed

0 Have your say PRIME MINISTER Theresa May will set out how the Government will tackle the “sad reality” of loneliness in modern life - and has started by appointing a minister to create the UK’s first ever strategy on the issue. The commitment to act is a direct result of work by a cross-party commission set up by murdered Batley MP Jo Cox, who in a report in December urged the Government to ”step forward and lead a renewed push to tackle loneliness”.The Yorkshire Post’s exclusively announced Mrs Cox’s intention to form the commission on the second anniversary of its award-winning Loneliness: The Hidden Epidemic campaign in February 2016. She was killed just months later, but her work was taken on by her colleagues, Labour MP for Leeds West Rachel Reeves, and Conservative MP for South Ribble, Seema Kennedy.Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will announce that she is accepting the Commission’s recommendations, and will develop a … [Read more...] about PM appoints Minister for Loneliness following Jo Cox report

Inflation has rolled back for the first time since June, helping households to cope with the relentless pressure on their finances. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) eased to 3% in December, down from 3.1% in November when inflation reached its highest level since March 2012. The outcome was in line with expectations, with some economists believing Britain’s soaring inflation has now peaked following sterling’s collapse since the Brexit vote. However, ONS senior statistician James Tucker said it was “too early to say” whether the fall was part of a long-term trend. The drop was largely caused by air fares, but falling price tags on clothes and toys also pulled costs lower. The slowdown of inflation takes the pressure off the Bank of England to hike interest rates beyond 0.5% in the coming months. Sterling slipped against the US dollar following the announcement, falling 0.2% to 1.37. … [Read more...] about Inflation eases for the first time since June as it falls to 3 in December

The rate of inflation has eased for the first time since June last year, falling to 3% in December as growth in food costs slowed. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said a weaker increase in air fares compared to the same month in 2016 also contributed to the 0.1% fall in consumer price inflation from 3.1% in November - then a post-Brexit vote high.Higher import costs because of the collapse in the value of the pound has been largely responsible for driving living costs up in 2017.At the same time, households have felt a squeeze from wage growth failing to keep pace - a scenario reflected in many Christmas trading statements from retailers.The ONS figures provide some hope that economists are right and the worst of the price increases have now filtered through.But James Tucker, a statistician who compiled the figures, said: "It remains too early to say whether today's slight fall is the start of any longer-term reduction in the rate of inflation."The impact of price growth on … [Read more...] about Inflation falls back for the first time since June to 3%

The concept of 'Dry January' was started in 2013 by the British charity and campaign group, Alcohol Concern. In an effort to reduce unhealthy drinking, the initiative encourages people to go sober for the entire month. The idea of a hangover-free month has enticed 3.1 million Brits who planned to take on the Dry January challenge this year, according to a YouGov poll. Here to make their decision easier are Club Soda, a company that launched in 2015 to promote the Mindful Drinking movement - a lifestyle which encourages healthier drinking decisions - through online courses. Club Soda's mission is to "create a world where nobody feels out of place if they are not drinking", co-founder Laura Willoughby told IBTimes UK. As a result, they run everything from low-alcohol and alcohol-free events, to festivals and pub crawls through London that take people around sites and through pubs known for non-alcoholic or low alcohol percentage options. As such, Club Soda have tapped into a wider trend … [Read more...] about Mindful drinking: Six tips for getting through the rest of ‘dry January’